A New World: Snowy
by omegafire17
Summary: Sometimes, winter comes a little early than expected - and for this family, it means they'll start having to bundle up. Though it also means Yui gets to learn more about the world, of which she'd like nothing better. Rated T
1. Curiosity

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Sword Art Online (any season), or the characters.

**Rating:** T (heavy hint of M at end)

**Like I said, very likely hehe - enjoy.**

* * *

><p><em>RL<em>

_November 16th, 2030_

"Well, that worked out well" she said in an interesting tone, at the wheel.

"Yeah, if you can call it that" Kazuto breathed, still a little dour, hand supporting his face beside her. "That glitch trapped me in place for more than two hours inside that game - I couldn't even blink, and I'm sure my eye is still twitchy out here!"

She giggled, making the turn with a smile. "Being a virtual beta tester again, you're bound to run into things like this" she teased him, before softening. "But it's to make sure no one else does when the new stuff goes live."

"Yeah, but it's still frustrating sometimes."

"But for a good cause" she pointed out sincerely, now going up their driveway and into the garage. "And I get to watch over you in real life, plus the monitor, and get paid to at that - the joy of joys."

"Okay, miss sarcastic" he fired back, getting out, turning toward her. "No need to say you're into me."

"Bite me" she teased, giggling - he chuckled in return. As they walked up to the front door, she clicked the garage door device over-her-shoulder. For some reason when they'd gotten this house, it didn't have a door that led inside to the rest of the house, which was a little inconvienent. Still, when Kazuto touched a hand to her hip, with a soft little smile, that thought faded to the back of her mind entirely. She smiled, touching her hand to his own, just feeling warm-

Up ahead of her though, a little figure in the window had jumped at their appearance, and quickly disappeared.

They slowed, hearing the distinctive clicks and sounds of the door being opened from the inside, before it opened with a little effort. "Mommy, daddy, you're home!" Yui breathed happily, running up to them, and pressing a hug against her waist.

She held Yui close too. "As we've done every day that we had to go to work" she said gently, stroking her hair.

Yui looked up at her, nodding with a smile. "I know" she whispered. "But it's still so new to me, how the real world works - this working to make money, to make sure all the comforts of home are taken care of in return for it."

"Well, it has only been a week or so" Kazuto added, but soft, getting down on his knee. "You okay, being at home by yourself?"

She nodded with a 'Mmh-hmm'. "I'm okay, daddy; I've had to wait before, when I was an AI" she said, but not in a bad way. "But I'm always glad to be with you two."

The warmth only got better. "As are we, Yui" she answered, smiling, "Especially so close to dinnertime."

"Ah! I always like your food, mommy!" she breathed happily, excited, hands in front of her.

Her husband chuckled, smirking a bit. "As do I, 'mommy'" he said, making her get a look for a moment. Then he just laughed, and Yui joined in, so she sheepishly did as well-

"Huh?"

"Yui?"

"What's that stuff?"

Seeing Yui pointing up, she looked up as well - overhead the sky was grayish, but otherwise still lit well enough, little flakes of- wait a minute. Oh yeah, they hadn't yet explained the seasons to Yui! Well, Yui might know about specific holiday events from ALO, but the general stuff? She remember Yui had asked why the trees didn't have leaves, and Kazuto had answered they were essentially getting ready to sleep for awhile, but none of them had answered/asked about the subject further.

She was beginning they wish they had; it seemed so strange that they hadn't.

Still, she smiled as she looked at the curious Yui, who had her hands out trying to catch them. "It's snow, Yui" she said gently. And when Yui looked at her, curiously confused, she tilted her head a little. "Little bits of frozen water."

"Frozen?" she wondered, looking at the flakes again, watching as one flew onto her hands - "Ah!" she jolted, as it melted against her hand, slowly but still. "But- why is the water in the air that cold?"

Kazuto stepped beside her, hands in his pockets, smiling. "It means winter's coming" he explained gently, even as flakes continued to fall around them, but very lightly. "Part of the changing seasons."

Yui tilted her head. "Huh?"

She took Yui's hand, drawing their daughter's attention. "Remember what your dad said about the sun, and how Earth circles around it?" she asked gently, Yui slowly nodding. "Well, while we circle around the sun, there are times we're closer than usual, and times we're farther than usual - this changes how warm or cold things get around here."

At that, her expression cleared, replaced by bright curiosity. "Oh, so this is the time where we're farther away?" Yui asked, she nodding in response. "So that explains why the real world feels cooler than in ALO! And it also adds to why the trees are going to sleep; they must not like cold!"

"Pretty much" she added, smiling. "And since each season lasts about three months or so, it's only gonna get colder around here."

"But we can still have fun, right?" she asked, a little worried... then Kazuto got down right down beside her.

He smiled, ruffling her hair (to her playful annoyance), chuckling. "Sure we can, but we just gotta be careful - too much cold isn't good for us, so we gotta bundle up and stuff" he merely said. "But we'll still have fun somehow."

Flattening her hair a little, Yui made a sheepish smile, just happy. "Okay, daddy."

"Now then" she said, taking Yui's other hand. "Why don't we go inside and get that dinner?"

A resounding chorus of 'Yes ma'am!' rang out.

* * *

><p>"Mmh, delicious as usual" he said, eating his heart out.<p>

"You can say that again, daddy!"

"At least enjoy the taste before you wolf it down over there" his wife said, a little exasperated.

"Oh I _am_" he said with his mouth partly full, chuckling heavily, to her further exasperation - luckily for him, Yui was too busy enjoying her own food to notice. Still, after a few bites, even he couldn't help but notice how Yui's attention was suddenly occupied by the window (which she was sitting right next to). "Yui?" he asked after a moment.

She leaned closer, hands pressed against it as she looked, before back at them. "The snow, it's falling more heavily than before" she said, curious and smiling. "The ground is almost completely white now, like it was in that Jotenheim quest."

He smiled as well, nodding. "And only more snow will fall" he said gently. "It'll be a white wonderland out there soon - a little chilly, but still good."

Eyes sparkling a little in excitement, she giggled a little, before making a little 'Oh' as she remembered her food. She quickly went back to eating, to which they both laughed at a little, and Yui smiled. "Will it really get so cold though?" she asked, slowly eating again. "That we'll have to wear even more?"

"Oh yes, Yui" Asuna answered (he just continued eating for now). "If we didn't bundle up, we'd shiver and freeze out there."

Yui tilted her head. "Shiver?"

"Well, if we get too cold, our body instinctively makes us shiver to get warmer" she explained. "Moving does make us heat up after all, at least a little."

"And it would look something like this" he added, waiting till Yui's attention was on him before he started... afterward though, he felt it was weird; kinda like being a vibrating spring. "Anyway, being too hot has a similar reaction, allowing us to sweat."

Yui gasped a little. "Whenever players were fighting, I always noticed they had water coming out of their skin" she breathed, very thoughtful. "That must be why; you were moving fast, and thus heated up, so your bodies tried to cool themselves down. I always saw the vitals, but I never understood the exact reason until now!"

"Well, now you do" she said, patting Yui's hair, which she liked.

He smiled, just enjoying the sight of them both so happy, then continued to eat his chicken.

For the most part, this was how it went; a normal little family dinner. However, at one point, he caught Asuna's eye - looking Yui over discreetly, quite seriously, then she looked at him. He slowly put down his fork, knowing that look and what she was thinking about... he could tell thanks to the fidgeting, and the worry over Yui's reaction. With her eyes only, she seemed to be asking him if now was the right time. The right time to ask Yui about the sibling issue.

He slowly gave her a little look. _"Can I at least finish my dinner first?"_ he mouthed to her.

A little roll-eye, but amused. _"Okay"_ she mouthed back.

/

"Oh, that was so good!"

"Of course it was" he said, getting down beside her. "Your mommy's a very good cook."

Yui giggled, nodding, before he touched a hand to her shoulder. "Huh?"

He smiled gently. "And also-" he breathed, "Asuna and I want to talk with you, about something important. Okay?"

She got a little worried. "Is it something bad?" she whispered, hands in front of her.

Asuna stepped forward. "No, but it is fairly serious, and it will affect you too" she said, slowly sitting down at the table again. "That's why we wanted to talk to you about it, Yui."

"Okay" she breathed, holding onto his arm. "What is it, mommy?"

When Asuna hesitated, he picked up the slack: "Well, to put it simply" he said faintly, but gentle. "Yui, how would you feel if this little family... got a little bigger?"

She gasped, blinking several times, hands in front of her mouth. "Y-You mean-" she breathed, in dawning wonder and (slight) confusion. "Daddy, mommy... you're asking if I want a brother or sister?"

"Well, yeah" he breathed.

Asuna made a sound, touching her belly, but still her expression was soft. "Yes, Yui, we are" she whispered gently, "What do you think?"

Breathing out, Yui slowly looked down, her hands together. "I- I don't know" she admitted, before looking up. "I'm honestly really happy just being here with you two!"

He smiled, slowly touching a hand to Asuna's, to which she gave him a soft look. "We know, Yui, and we're glad that you're finally here with us" he assured, reaching forward with his arms. When he nodded his soft ascent, Yui was quick to come over, quickly hugging him on his lap - Asuna lay a hand on Yui's shoulder, which she also liked. "But if you're worried that we won't love you with another child around, well-"

"T-That's not it!" she breathed quickly, looking up at him, slowly smiling. "I know you, daddy, mommy" she breathed softly, head on his chest. "Even if I wasn't your only daughter, you'd still love me just as much as you do now."

"Of course we would" Asuna whispered, gently leaning forward, kissing Yui's forehead (to her little happy blush). "That will never change. We're just thinking, there could be another child, for all of us to love."

Against his chest, Yui hugged him closer.

"What would it be like?" she asked, curious. "I know that I won't just magically get a brother or sister as big as I am, but little else."

At that, Asuna glanced at him, and he knew what she was thinking; how much would they tell her? Well, he knew they couldn't/wouldn't give every single detail about the processes, because she was still a little girl at heart. However, they also knew for a fact that during her A.I. routine, she'd seen many horrible and disturbing things happening in SAO, the least of which was general violence. So he thought she could handle the actual facts... at least, part of it, for now.

_"Tell her the truth"_ he mouthed to Asuna, this getting a little reaction out of her before:_ "Not all the details; just the gist."_

A slight red came to Asuna's cheeks, and she was fidgety, but she slowly nodded.

"Well, uh" she began, Yui's attention fully on her, even as he still held her close in his lap. "*cough* first, me and Kazuto would get a few things in order- t-then, your brother or sister would start growing, right here."

Yui breathed, curiously confused when she gestured to just near her stomach. "In there?" she wondered, before becoming a little worried. "Wouldn't they be too big?"

Asuna slowly made a sheepish sound. "Well, they start off really small, but they do get bigger... and when they're big enough, they start to be born."

"It's not the most pleasant thing, ever, but in the end it's worth it" he slowly added, smiling at Yui. He was aware of the mildly miffed expression Asuna was giving him, but hey, ignorance is bliss or whatever they say. "And you're right; the baby doesn't start as big as you are, and can't even talk or walk yet."

"Oh" she breathed, curious before she tilted her head. "But what about their gender?"

He slowly glanced at Asuna, who's miffed expression was slowly becoming embarrassed again. "We... don't have control over that part of the process" he admitted sheepishly, slowly rubbing his head. "No one does."

A little thrown at that, Yui still considered things for a little. "But, if the baby can't even talk or walk, how do they learn?"

"Well, that's our job, as parents" Asuna breathed gently. "Just like we're taking care of you, Yui, teaching you about the real world."

Even without looking, he could tell Yui had that sparkling happy look in them - he just held her closer to him.

"And anyway, it'll be a lot of work at first; I can't deny that whatsoever" she continued, but with a small smile. "Because the baby can't talk for a few years, until we teach him or her so, the only way they can get attention is by crying. Really loudly... and sometimes at night too."

"Why at night?" Yui asked, a little worried, no doubt about what he'd said about not getting enough sleep being trouble.

"Well... it'll take awhile for the baby to learn how to 'go' a-as well."

Yui made a sound, partly disgusted, by the sound of it - well, he couldn't blame her for that; it was a reality for all of them, but it was still disgusting.

"But it'll all be okay, Yui" he said gently, assuredly. "Despite the work cut out for your mommy and me, the baby will learn, and soon you'll have another playmate. You know, if you want to; we won't do anything until you decide" he added. "There's no rush."

She was silent for a little, before she slowly looked up, smiling a little. "Well, if there's no rush for me to decide" she breathed gently, "daddy, can you take me back outside?"

"Hmm? Why?"

"I want to look at the snow again, up close" she said, a little excited. "And I want to feel what it's like to shiver; my pixie form in ALO could never be affected by such things. Maybe it won't be pleasant after awhile, but it's better I experience it now, right?"

He slowly looked at Asuna, who looked a little worried, but she still stepped forward. "Well, okay, Yui; just for a little while" she said, getting down beside Yui. "But the moment it looks like it's really affecting you, you'll find a really warm coat wrapped around you."

Yui just giggled, nodding.

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><p><em>Outside<em>

She had to admit, letting Yui out in this weather dressed like her usual, her first instinct had been to say 'no way'. When she realized this, that her instinct had been a motherly one, she had slowly begun to feel warm and happy - maybe she's been one to Yui for five years, but the little girl could handle herself well in virtual reality. Here, Yui needed their guidance, and she was loving the instinct.

And so, here she was, holding a spare thick winter coat for herself, just a bit smaller than Yui herself. Next time they go shopping, Yui was gonna need one (embarrassingly, they'd forgotten to get one in her size; slipped their minds).

"They're so pretty, haha" Yui breathed, slowly twirling around on the spot.

"You know, they say no two snowflakes look the same" Kazuto added, nearby but not in Yui's way.

"Huh? Really?"

"Yeah" he said softly. "It's hard to see with our eyes, but snowflakes do have this pattern to them - but they're all so different."

Yui just giggled, unconsciously rubbing at her arms, which she noticed after a moment. "Hmm? My skin, it looks like..." she said, looking closer. "Little bumps?"

She breathed out, moving closer with the coat, but not ready yet. "Those are goosebumps, Yui" she said gently, getting the little girl's curious attention. "The name's a little silly, but this is a small attempt by the body to show that you're getting cold."

"Ah, that's so cool, mommy!" Yui breathed, giggling - she just shared a look with Kazuto, happy to see her enjoying their world, before "Oh!"

"Yui?" she asked quickly.

Yui looked around at herself, arms partly wrapped around herself... then her shoulders moved a little, followed by another 'burst', which included her head. "Wow, that's so weird!" Yui breathed, interested. "This is shivering, right!?"

"Mmh, yes, quite" she said, opening up the coat, ready.

Another (bigger) burst of shivering, and Yui's giggle. "Wow, that's so involuntarily, and fascinating!" she said cheerfully, before she slowly stepped toward her. Yui instinctively held her arms up for the sleeves, but she gently said that was okay, before wrapping the coat around her body.

"Oh, it's so soft" Yui breathed, rubbing a section against her cheek.

"Why thank you, Yui-"

"Ahh..."

"Huh?" she breathed, confused.

"Ahhh" Yui breathed, looking a little worried, her nose twitching. "Ah- ahcoo!"

After a moment, she slowly giggled, even as her husband came over closer. "What was that?" Yui breathed, worried, until she noticed her dad bent down beside her.

"That was a sneeze" he said mildly. "It's pretty normal, and can happen for many reasons - though, if you start sneezing several times in a row, that's not really good."

Yui breathed out. "You mean, that I'm 'sick', daddy?" she asked, worried.

"Not yet, but now we really must get you back inside, before you do" she said, gently-but-firmly leading Yui inside. "It's impossible to avoid getting sick forever, but it certainly doesn't do any good to be sick all the time.

"But, if I do get sick, that means I have to go to the hospital again?" she asked, looking up, even as she was lead inside.

"Depends" she said gently. "Some sicknesses are only bad enough to annoy you slightly, some confine you to your bed here in the house, and then it starts getting bad-"

/

_Several hours later; nighttime._

Yui lay curled under the blankets, head to one side, mouth opening and closing as she breathed in and out softly.

Despite herself, it brought tears of happiness to her eyes, just to see Yui here with them. It had been more than a week, and she still couldn't believe it sometimes - now she was truly a mother, in all senses of the word! Even as she wiped at the tears, her fingers curled around the doorframe, looking at Yui the entire time.

"Got side-tracked?"

Despite the soft, low tone he'd used, she was still startled to see Kazuto right beside her - but only for a moment. "How'd you guess?" she asked, just as soft and low, so as not to disturb Yui.

He slipped a hand into hers, which she squeezed. "Well, it took awhile before you got back... even half-asleep, that's noticeable" he said, but mild. "But, I understand why now" he added, slowly touching a kiss to her cheek.

She blushed a little, leaning her head against him, both of them looking at the sleeping Yui. "I just- I can't quite believe it" she breathed. "Even now, it still feels like a dream at times!"

A moment, then his other hand came up... touching her chin, gently pulling her face toward his.

He smiled, exactly like his usual. "I know what you mean" he breathed gently, touching their foreheads together. "But, Asuna, it's just-"

Instinctively, she kissed him, much to his surprise - but only for a moment, as he returned it. "Just what?" she asked.

"It's real."

If anyone else had said that, someone who hadn't survived being trapped in a VRMMORPG for two years, it might have sounded corny - and maybe it still did. But right now, all it did was send a thrill through her system, along with massive warmth. Gasping a little, she kissed him again-

-and boy did she let it go on, no matter how surprised he was at first.

When they finally let go: "As usual, you're so cheesy" she told him, really breathy and still low.

He slowly chuckled a bit. "So I've heard" he whispered, getting closer and saying it in her ear, giving her another little shiver. After that, he touched a kiss to her neck, which also made her feel warm, but otherwise she held him like usual... well, except for her toying with his waistband.

Still working her usual playful spots, he didn't pause, but still clearly felt it: "Yui hasn't decided yet-"

"I know" she whispered, really soft. "But today's safe; trust me."

"Mmh-"

After a moment, she squeaked; he'd just picked her up. Unlike in ALO, he was straining a little, but managed to hold her up well - instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his hips, and then she kissed him.

She didn't let go, even as he slowly turned back to their bedroom.

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><p><strong>Well, things are moving along nicely for the family, in several ways XD<strong>


	2. Curiosity, Pt 2

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Sword Art Online (I or II), or it's characters.

**Rating:** T

**And so it continues, surprise XD But still enjoy lol**

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><p><em>RL<em>

_November 20th, 2030_

The snow had really been piling it on outside, starting to achieve a good thickness - might have to introduce Yui to shoveling even sooner than expected. Still, she could tell Yui about that after everything else... and right now, she was enjoying her warm little alone time with her husband.

He stirred just underneath her, making a little sound. "This was such a great idea" he breathed, soft. "To just crawl back on the bed and lay here."

"What, no mention of me?" she teased.

He chuckled. "Well, that is a big plus" he added, but gentle, his hand toying with a few strands of hair down by her waist.

That made her feel warm, and brought back sensations of a few nights ago to her, but she still kissed his collarbone. "One sudden movement though, and I'm getting off" she told him. "I mean it."

"Okay, okay."

She giggled, liking that resigned playful tone, and just snuggled closer against him.

"Still, even if 'big' teases aren't allowed, what if I said something serious?"

She lifted her head a little, trying to determine if he meant it... but it was mixed. "Well, if it's so serious, I would want to hear it" she admitted softly, laying back down. "But I'd also tell you to give it five minutes."

"Heh, fair enough."

She just hummed, closing her eyes; he was still so warm, but even better than in virtual reality.

/

Turns out, it took considerably longer than five minutes, but eventually they did get off the bed, just warmly content.

"So, what was this serious thing, Kazuto?" she prodded gently, her hand in his.

He gave her a little smile, then slowly looked up, his other hand coming up near his neck. "Well..." he breathed, trailing off as if not sure how to state it.

She squeezed his hand gently. "Is it immediate serious, or do we have time?"

He slowly looked back at her. "No, we got time, Asuna" he assured, before glancing down. "I just... wonder what we're gonna do."

"About?"

"Yui. Putting her in school..."

She gasped a little, and suddenly this image came into her head: Yui standing at attention in front of a classroom (the faces generally blurred), wearing a school uniform of something, and having a big grin as she introduced herself.

That was right; Yui was gonna grow up someday, and when she does, she'd need to find her way in the world.

"I mean, she's technically five out here, but her body is ten - and she'll stay that way till she actually is ten out here" he continued, slowly touching his other hand to hers (she quickly joined in instinctively). "Putting her in first grade next year, it would be the best way to ease her into education... but the other kids might be afraid of her, because she's bigger than them."

She made a little sound, but she refused to be sad. "Unfortunately, maybe" she said, looking at him. "And also, thanks to Yui's experience as an AI, she'd probably tear right through math, making it seem so effortlessly easy. That would either impress the other kids, or scare them even more."

One hand briefly went to her shoulder. "With how nice Yui is, personally, I doubt she'd be that scary" he added gently, she slowly nodding with a little smile. "Also, I don't think we should stand by and wait till Yui's actually ten, then just throw her into fifth grade."

"Hmm, yeah... she'd probably still understand the math easily, but the rest?" she breathed. "She could easily get lost with how much she's learning at once, and there wouldn't be time to get familiar with it at all, plus continuing to learn more?"

He slowly made a sound, glancing up again, slowly crossing his arms (it was one of his thinking poses). "And, much as as I'd like to have Yui around full-time" he slowly said, looking at her sheepishly. "I don't know if we'd be that good of home school teachers or not."

Surprised, she looked at him, just seeing that image in her head for awhile-

-but she smiled a bit, shaking her head slowly. "I'd like that too, Kazuto" she admitted softly. "But would it be healthy for Yui? Not having the opportunity to learn to make true friends, or one day, even experience romantic love until she's an adult?"

"No" he whispered, slowly glancing down.

She simply hugged him, and he returned the pressure easily.

"Look at us" she breathed gently, moving her fingers over his back. "Talking about Yui in school, truly being her parents and legal guardians."

Even with no other clues, she could tell he was smiling. "Well, we are, Asuna."

"I know, but still."

"Hehe."

When she pulled away, Kazuto kept her from going too far, to her faint surprise; he gently pecked her lips with a little smile. She giggled a little, returning the favor before truly pulling away from him, cheeks a little red. "Clearly, we have much to talk about this over the next few months" she teased, he slowly nodding, but good-naturally. "Now, let's see if-" she continued, before noticing her husband slowly turning his head; he'd heard something.

Not a sec later, she did too; little footsteps coming up the stairs.

They glanced at each other with a smile, seeing Yui poke her head around the open door.

"A-Am I disturbing you two?"

"Not at all, Yui" she assured gently. "Your daddy and I were just enjoying time together, but we were done anyway."

"What she said" Kazuto added, simple but effective.

Yui just smiled, stepping out from around the corner, hands behind her. "I'm so glad" she breathed, with a little smile. "Because, if it's okay, I'd like to ask a few more questions... about the process of having a sibling."

They were both surprised, but she soon nodded. "S-Sure."

* * *

><p><em>Downstairs<em>

Well, here they go with the whole explanation process.

"So, what's a baby like?" Yui asked, sitting on his lap, looking between them. "I mean, development-wise, and really like?"

Asuna slowly smiled. "Well, to be frank, babies are like blank slates when they're born" she said gently. "But they're like sponges, soaking in all the information they can, and slowly making sense of it subconsciously. But it takes quite awhile."

"Why's that, mommy?"

"Because, well, they don't start out in control at all" he said, drawing Yui's attention. "As I understand it, the brain is still trying to make sense of everything, so the little guys can't move their arms/legs on their own. They just jerk around a bit, respond to touch and sound, and otherwise just react really."

She made a sound, worried. "Does it really work like that?" she asked.

"Uh huh."

"Like I said, Yui, it takes time" Asuna added, miming the process of holding a baby in her arms, for some reason. "Over the first year or two, the brain slowly asserts it's control. It moves downward from the brain at a slow rate - first they learn how to intentionally bite, then they learn to punch and hold onto things, and later to kick."

"And once they start kicking, that's the sign that they're ready to learn how to walk" he said. "And also... to maintain control over the bathroom issue."

Yui moved a little on his lap, which he was sure showed her disgust in some way. "What about talking?" she asked after a moment. "When does that happen?"

Asuna smiled, touching a hand to her stomach. "Actually... as early as when they're in here" she said, to Yui's surprise. "Learning to talk is a continuous process as the baby hears voices, inflections, words, pronunciation - all of that. Sure, it takes awhile before they can say a word, let alone several - but it takes place all the time, even after the first few years."

"And that sponge thing doesn't stop there" he added playfully, Yui looking up at him, but he smiled. "As they learn to talk after 3 years or so, they'll become chatterboxes, excited to learn about the world - and likely, ask every 'why' question in existence because they're sponges."

Yui just giggled, with a bright smile. "I can understand that easily!" she breathed, so excited. "The world is so full of fascinating things and I still haven't begun to learn it all!"

"That's my girl."

Nodding vigorously, Yui pressed herself against him contently, which he easily returned - Asuna's gaze softened even more looking at this.

He held her close, then looked at her. "Still, Yui, are these questions your answer?" he asked gently. "Or actually, you leaning toward one?"

She made a little hum with a smile. "I'm close to an answer, daddy" she breathed softly, before slowly getting off his lap (he let her). "But, I'm still worried; a growing baby inside mommy's belly sounds like it'll be painful."

Asuna got up, gently patting Yui's head. "Painful isn't exactly the word for it, Yui" she said, getting down to her level. "It's not easy, and it will take effort, but my every waking moment won't be painful. Also, that effort is the reality, throughout the nine months of the process."

Yui slowly made a sound, looking down, worried.

"But your mommy's not alone to bear it all" he assured softly. "We're there for her, and to help take care of her when she needs it."

"Really?" Yui breathed, a little more hopeful. Asuna however gave him this dual look behind Yui's back - she was glad he was trying to boost her spirits, but also a little sour how he was obviously misleading it; she would be the one bearing the baby, and he wouldn't be sharing any of the physical experience whatsoever.

"Of course we will" he answered to Yui out loud - and when she wasn't looking, gave Asuna a sorta-sheepish 'Hey, what else could I say?' look. Likely didn't help, but oh well.

_Growl_

Yui squeaked in embarrassment, her face turning red as the growling continued from her stomach.

Asuna slowly giggled. "Well, looks I better get cracking" she breathed, softly playful.

Then came a second growl, which he reacted to.

That soft playfulness got an amused edge. "On that double, at that" she added, giving him a little smirk as she moved on... which he found himself grumbling a little over.

/

_An hour later_

Well, least they got some delicious dinner, even if it kinda-sorta came at his expense (after the embarrassment, Yui had just seemed to accept the situation in good cheeriness).

"Hah! Ayah!"

"That's it, Yui. Over, to the right, lunge-" he pushed gently, defending.

Yui tried the moves a few times, then backed up, panting a little. "This is the uh, the sweat, right?" she breathed, touching a hand to her forehead.

He smiled a bit, keeping his 'weapon' raised. "Yup."

She made a little sound. "Well, I won't let it stop me" she genuinely assured him. "Or the out-of-breath part, even if it is harder out here."

He nodded, approving - then in surprise, moved quickly to block a tap by Excaliber.

Yui giggled a little. "Almost got you, daddy" she breathed, a little playfully.

He grinned back, chuckling. "And even though you didn't, that was a good move" he said with approval.

"And I'll keep learning" she said brightly. "I'll keep going at it, and I'll get stronger!"

He was ready for her to come out at him again, but in mid-motion, some thought struck Yui. "Mmmm... that reminds me" she breathed. "Daddy, how exactly does a person get stronger, physically? What's the exact process out here?"

"Well-"

"I'll tell her that, if you don't mind" Asuna interjected beside him, but gently, holding two glasses of water. "And besides, you both could use a little break."

"Heh" he breathed, slowly taking his glass of water - Yui was quick to down hers, apparently only just realizing the sensation of having a dry throat.

"Anyway" she continued, Yui's attention on her. "Yui, the muscle cells work hard, and sometimes they get damaged... it could be something as simple as lifting too much, even a little, to anything more serious."

Yui made a sound, curious. "Even something as small as holding this glass?" she wondered.

She smiled. "Well, maybe not that little" she assured. "But, say you tried to lift something heavy for you; you could lift it, but some of those cells could be damaged in the attempt."

"W-Would that be painful?" Yui breathed, worried.

"Not really painful" he answered, one hand near his hip. "More like pressure. We can all handle that fairly well."

Asuna nodded, looking back at Yui. "However, if you kept trying to lift that heavy thing day after day, things would change" she continued softly. "Because you're not strong enough to lift it easily, and because cells keep getting damaged in use, the body builds them back up in response. But not just to replace them; it builds more and more over the damage as necessary."

"And keeps repeating this process until suddenly boom, you can lift the heavy object easier than before" he added mildly. "Then easier than that, and easier than that. Pretty soon, it'll be so easy you won't even notice."

Yui's eyes brightened. "That's so cool" she said, holding up her free arm, no doubt trying to imagine the muscles. "Does it work for all muscles? Like, all this blinking, will it make my eye muscles stronger?"

He slowly breathed out, thinking 'wow, her curiosity never gets old', while Asuna merely giggled a little; "It does for all muscles" she admitted, stepping over to her daughter's side. "However, to actually build them up like that, it requires effort - blinking isn't really an effort, even after how many times we do a day, much less a year."

"Oh. Well, that's okay too, mommy" Yui breathed, happy to press herself against Asuna, closing her eyes in contentment. Asuna's eyes got that little sparkle, holding Yui closer, even as he smiled at the little scene.

"Also-"

"Hmm?"

Yui looked at both of them, holding onto Asuna. "I've decided, mommy, daddy" she breathed softly, though a little nervous.

There was a moment of silence, then he slowly looked at Asuna, and she at him - but after that moment, they just smiled.

"You're sure, Yui?" he asked gently, coming closer.

"Mmm-hm" she breathed, before her cheeks turned a little red. "I mean, I-I'm not asking you two to have one r-right now... just that I'd be okay with that."

He put his hands on his hips, looking at Asuna. "Well, you heard the lady" he said mildly, smirking. "The race is on."

Asuna rolled her eyes and smirked back, but they were directed at Yui. "And as usual, he twists it into something completely embarrassing" she said, walking past and pushing him out of the way. "Come on Yui, let's get away from your ridiculous father for a little while."

"Sorry, daddy" Yui said brightly as she walked along, even sticking her tongue out.

"Hey!" he called out. "Why's everyone ganging up on me!? It was a joke! Ugh, c_ome on_, guys!"

* * *

><p><em>Outside, a little later<em>

Hmm, the driveway was definitely getting a little thick, but it was late and would get dark soon... probably could get out/in tomorrow, but after that? Definitely needed to be done.

"Something wrong, mommy?"

Looking at her side, she smiled at Yui, who was wearing his adorable winter coat they'd both picked out for her. "No, not really wrong" she assured her. "Just thinking about something that'll have to be done very soon."

"Which is?" she asked, already looking eager to help out.

She gestured over at the driveway. "Well, if the snow gets piled up too high, it'll make it difficult to drive through up to the garage - so every now and then, when it snows heavily, we have to work to thin it."

Yui hummed, looking at the driveway for a little, then back to her (head tilted). "Will that be hard?"

She smiled a bit, shaking her head. "Not really hard, Yui, just physically demanding" she answered, before slowly bending down a bit, though not touching her knee to the snow. "Though, I worry about you helping out with that tomorrow - you're still just starting to build up your muscles, Yui."

The little girl's eyes start to fill with happy tears, or at least a hint of them, due to the wind. "I want to help you two, and I'll do my best" she breathed happily, stepping forward and giving her a hug, which she returned easily. "I promise, mommy."

Happy herself, she kept Yui close to her for a good while. "I know you will" she assured, smiling. "But if you ever feel weak, don't hesitate to take a break, okay?"

With a very big smile, Yui nodded. "Okay" she breathed, then giggled. "But until tomorrow, and until it gets dark, I wanna make snow angels again!"

"Be my guest!" she answered, and Yui barely needed anything else; she'd already started running and landed in the snow, laughing the entire time as she moved her arms/legs. She took a moment to just watch, then quickly ran forward, intending to join her daughter in this fun-

"AHH!"

Yui squeaked as bits of snow landed beside her, though most had hit her mommy.

"Well, that enough time to be away from me?" a teasing voice called behind her.

"Oooh, you don't know the half of it!" she called back, simultaneously annoyed and thinking 'this is gonna be good'. "Because now, I can actually get you back!"

Even as she said it, she picked up snow, quickly crunched it together as best she could and threw it - thanks to his usual reflexes, most of it didn't hit him, and he just laughed.

"Come on, Yui" she said behind her, grinning. "We have a friendly little family snowball fight on our hands!."

Yui absolutely brightened, and quickly bent down to gather up snow, like she'd seen her mother do. "You got it, mommy! Let's get him!"

* * *

><p><strong>So yeah, the whole family's onboard for a little sibling, and being their usual selves ;)<strong>


	3. Curiosity, Pt 3

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Sword Art Online (I or II), including characters.

**Rating:** T

**Other notes**

* * *

><p><em>RL<em>

_November 28th, 2030_

"Haa, haa, ahhh!"

"Yui, you okay?" he quickly asked, hand raised to keep the stinging wind out of his face.

She leaned against her shovel, still breathing heavily. "Yeah, I'm fine, daddy" she said over the wind, "It's just my body; it's still not as strong as I'd like."

Mmh, yeah... he understood that fully. Still, the fact that she'd assisted them in clearing the driveway twice, this second time about three-quarters done, plus the usual training - well, she'd soon experienced that lingering muscle 'burn' when muscles were repeatedly subjected to intense work overtime.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay" he assured. "Just don't push yourself too far."

She nodded, smiling, though her 'Mmh-hmm' was nearly lost in the wind.

Just as he returned to his shovelful, he saw Asuna across the driveway, curiously confused if something had happened. He shook his head a little with a thumbs up and a smile, then went back to shoveling, heh. The work was tedious, but no worse than any amount of grinding you'd find in an MMO (regular or virtual), so things just went by like normal.

Until-

"Ah!"

He whirled around; Yui had dropped her shovel with a crunch, holding her arm. "What is it!?"

"My muscle just twitched! All by itself!"

He quickly got over, but though he was closer, he was still behind Asuna's arrival. "It looks like..." she breathed quickly. "The muscle spasmed. Very low-key, and not serious."

"Oh good" he breathed, relieved. "Well, bad good, but you know."

"Huh?" Yui breathed, curiously confused - however, she seemed relieved that she wasn't in any danger, going on their tones/words.

"Either way, she's done for today, period" she said to him, and he didn't bother to argue. "I'm gonna take her inside, so wrap this up, Kazuto."

Gah... now he'd wished he'd argued... actually, scratch that; that wouldn't have made this go away. Still, he supposed he could be sorta-glad this happened with less than a tenth of the driveway left to shovel, though that happened to include the bottom-packed stuff.

/

Ten minutes later, he stepped inside, wiping his feet against the rug several times... but even before he finished, he smelled something good.

_"Oh yes"_ he thought, already feeling better; lunch was to be their reward for finishing early, so he tried to get unequipped as quickly as possible.

"You're sure I'm okay, mommy?" he heard from the kitchen.

"Yes, you'll be okay, Yui, trust me" he also heard, along with the sounds of something sizzling. "The muscle is just overworked and needs rest; that's all."

"Oh."

Seconds after that, he entered the kitchen, leaning a hand against the wall. "So, what's cooking?" he asked mildly.

Asuna made a sound, but otherwise didn't answer - Yui just giggled at his usual food question. "Well, according to mommy, she's making something unusual called 'grilled cheese'" she breathed, excited. "I've tasted cheese before, but not like this. It still goes great with milk though!"

He chuckled, glad to hear that, for several reasons - ever since Yui had heard that milk, cheese and other such foods helped build strong bones, she'd wanted to make sure she had plenty of them. Her muscles she could train, but the bones themselves were harder to do so with, and she didn't want to get left behind in the strength area. He just stepped closer, though not before sneaking a big whiff (he could tell Asuna was rolling her eyes, even from behind), standing beside Yui. "Well, the small bits of cheese you had were the usual servings" he said softly. "In grilled cheese, they're much warmer, and thus a bit melted."

"Melted?" she questioned, but curious. "Is that good?"

"Depends on the food, but for grilled cheese? With the heat, it just sorta gives your mouth a hot, full feeling with each bite."

"Hehehe!" she breathed, excited. "That sounds so great! Just like the mac & cheese!"

"And it will be" Asuna assured, turning toward them for a little. "But it'll take awhile to cook properly, so go ahead and sit down; I've already put your glass of milk down."

Yui smiled, already moving to sit down, he following after a moment. He crossed his arms, smiling as he saw her drinking (he still remembered the first time, where she'd accidentally gotten a milk mustache due to liking how good it tasted).

"You know, with your mom's excellent cooking, it's gonna be hard to tell what foods you hate and/or don't like over others" he said mildly, sitting down.

Yui slowly giggled, sheepish. "Well, I hope I won't hate any foods at all" she said, completely sincere. "Everything is just so yummy!"

He chuckled, looking between Yui and Asuna (the latter of whom had a soft expression over the conversation), before he looked outside at the lake.

Hmm, that reminded him...

"Daddy?"

He looked back. "Sorry, Yui" he said sincerely, "Just had the thought that maybe the lake has frozen over enough."

She made a sound, curious. "For what?"

"So you and mommy could go skating" he said, glancing over. "She's been meaning to introduce you to that-"

"-thanks for ruining the surprise, Kazuto."

"No problem" he said cheerfully, to her little grunt, even as Yui remained curious.

His wife just rolled her eyes, starting to come over with their food. "And besides, it's still a little early" she told him, "The lake's only recently frozen over, so the ice is thin - and I have yet to get skates that fit Yui. And while I'm at it, are you _sure_ you don't want some?"

"Nah, I can keep up on boots" he said with a little grin. "It's a challenge that way. But if skating won't work for awhile, what about sledding?"

"Name a hill big enough around here that'll work, and that you remember where it is" she lightly challenged, giving him his grilled cheese (oh, that smelled _good_), along with Yui ("Ahaha!").

"There isn't" he said, a little sheepish, but still chuckling. "Don't you want to show Yui though?" he continued, taking a bite, then groaning at the taste (even better).

"Of course I do, but practicality first" she teased.

He chuckled back, smiling, though soon they were distracted by Yui's first experience with melted hot cheese: "Ah! That's really hot, but it's so good!" she breathed, fanning her mouth a little. "And you were right daddy; it does give a full effect! Mmh, delicious!"

"Glad I could help" he said mildly.

"And the crust, Yui?"

She made a sound, looking at it. "Mmh, it's a little hard, but crunchy is still good" she said sincerely. "I just prefer the softer parts."

"Good to know" she said, giving him a sideways glance. "And I thought I might have overdone it by a second or two..."

"Hey, live and learn" he teased, getting a little look; ah, the fun of it all.

/

Dinner finished itself quickly of course, though it only seemed that way because everything was so good; they never seemed to last as a result.

"What you two said earlier, what are they daddy?" Yui asked from her seat, even as he'd remained; Asuna was still in the kitchen, taking care of the plates and such, as it was her turn.

"You mean, sledding and skating?" he asked, to which she nodded, then he smiled. "Well, sledding is going to the top of a big hill when it's full of snow out there, riding this board thing big enough to hold you... then, you go down, feeling the rush of gravity and wind."

"A rush?" she breathed, then got excited. "You mean like when I'm riding on your back?"

"Mostly, except much faster, and it's a bit of a drag to walk all the back up" he said mildly. "However, skating is more like being on my back; you smoothly glide across the ice, turning, spinning and slowing yourself all with practice."

At that, she was interested. "Practice?" she asked eagerly. "Does it take a lot to learn?"

"Depends on each person" Asuna called over softly from the kitchen. "Ice is pretty slippery, and skates are tricky to get used to - but once you get it, you glide as daddy said, and you feel free and in control."

"Ahaha, hehe" Yui breathed, excited and wriggling her hands at it all.

"But of course, we still got time" he added gently. "First we gotta find a hill, or wait for the ice to thicken (plus skates), then you gotta start learning. And skating involves a bunch of falling down."

"I-Is that painful?" she asked, fingers unconsciously twitching toward her arm, which he caught.

"Nah" he said easily, genuinely. "It's more like this really subdued jolt, or a smack maybe - and unless it's a really, really hard fall, even that won't be painful so much as mildly distracting."

She was relieved. "Okay, but daddy, what about- HIC!"

He slowly just smiled, even as Yui blinked several times ("Hic!"), she getting worried. "What is this!? What's happen-Hic!-ing to me?"

"They're just hiccups, Yui" Asuna said gently, already there with a drink. "It means part of your breathing muscles are stuck, and they're trying to get unstuck - try this."

She did so quickly, with some relief this wasn't serious... but after downing it and waiting a little, she still went "Hic!", with a little 'Ohh'.

"No need to worry" he said mildly. "Just take a number of deep, deep breaths, and that can clear it-" he continued, which she started almost immediately... except they were the quick, wide-open-mouthed type. "No, no, not like that, like this" he said, demonstrating by breathing in, keeping his mouth open in a small circle. "You get more air better that way."

She made a sheepish little sound, but did as he said several times... and twenty seconds later, nothing happened.

"It worked!" she breathed, relieved. "Hic!"

He just laughed a little. "Or maybe you had one last one in you" he teased, Yui giving him a little pout.

* * *

><p><em>That night<em>

She adjusted the fabric against her, hummed a little, then turned around - however, when she did, all she saw was Kazuto laying on the bed (above covers), hands over his head and staring at the ceiling. And even in the faint light, she could tell he was shirtless, much as he did half the time when they went to bed.

Making a soft sound, she smiled, having a few ideas about where this might go. "Are you thinking at all there?" she breathed, half-teasing.

He smiled a bit, showing he'd understood, but otherwise kept his gaze on the ceiling. "In a way" he said lightly. "I'm trying to decide how I'm feeling right now, and exactly what I want, if I want anything."

This late at night, she had no illusions as to what he was referring to - affections, anywhere from mild to very intimate. She touched a hand to her heart, already feeling it beat faster. "A-And your decision?"

"Not completely there yet, but..." he breathed, soft, glancing at her. "I might want some of this (he gestured a bit near his lips), and maybe a little more than that (she blushed a little), but that's all."

Despite her shyness, she was surprised. "That's all?" she whispered, stepping closer. "Why?"

He truly looked at her now, keeping the smile, but there were subtle hints of more in his expression. "Anything after that" he said faintly. "It's too soon."

For a few moments, she just stared at him, perplexed. "Too... soon?"

"I know, I know" he continued, a little trace of mild in there. "'But we've already done it a few times' (she jolted, face turning red), yes, we have. But I feel that I get that close to you now, I wouldn't be able to stop myself. And today's not safe at all, is it."

At that, her confusion slowly cleared. "You- you don't feel ready yet, do you?" she asked, increasingly soft.

He slowly shook his head, before he sat up, looking at her. "No" he breathed, entirely soft, slowly taking her hands (she squeezed them back). "Asuna, we've been the adoptive parents of Yui for years, and we've learned a good deal, even more so after your father brought her into the real world. But she wasn't born the usual way, or grown that way either. That's a lot of responsibility, a lot to prepare for... and right now, I just don't feel it's the right time."

She hugged him, a few tears in her eyes. "Oh, Kazuto" she breathed, feeling his strong arms instinctively holding her back. "You idiot."

"Huh?"

"Feeling that you're not ready is pretty honest of you, and sweet" she told him, touching her hand to the back of his head. "But that doesn't mean you have to stop showing... i-intimate affection."

His grip tightened slightly. "But what if I-"

"Then stop" she said simply. "And if you don't have the guts to do it, then I'll make sure it happens."

He slowly drew back, only enough to look at her, very close. "Don't have the guts?" he breathed, just smiling. "That's kinda low, Asuna."

She got closer. "Maybe" she breathed, half-closing her eyes.

The kiss was intense to start with, but she held him even closer, making it better - in time, their little motions and sounds made it so that they slowly fell onto their sides against the bed. It must have lasted a good five minutes, if not more, but soon they had to break it to breathe. When she looked at him again, he was full of soft love, or at least his brand of it... and maybe a little taste for more affection, but had no pressing need right then. She merely smiled, content to hold him as well, full of warmth the entire time.

Then something subtly creaked.

Kazuto moved slightly before she did; was that Yui's door opening?

The very faint sound of feet crunching carpet gave her that answer, even as they slowly sat up, looking at the door.

"Mommy? Daddy?"

"Yui?" she breathed, worried from her nervous tone. "What's wrong?"

A moment, then the door slowly opened, and Yui poked her head in - it was hard to see at first, but she was holding her whale plushie. "I-Is it possible to control dreams?" she breathed, glancing down.

Kazuto slowly got up beside her. "You had a bad one, didn't you" he said, entirely soft and gentle, going toward her.

"Mmph... mmm-hmm" she breathed, a little weak, clutching her plushie. "They were like my memories, and I saw the players in SAO..."

She quickly sat up, even as Kazuto gently held Yui close to him. "You're more than welcome to sleep with us again" she said gently. "But you'll have to leave that on the floor for tonight, okay?"

"Okay."

While Kazuto attended to her plushie, Yui was quick to come into her arms, and then she slipped herself under the covers to the middle - just after this, she (and Kazuto on the other side) also got themselves in, Yui making sure to snuggle in close to both of them.

Even with Yui being a little shaken, having her this close made her feel so happy, and the warmth remained even as she closed her eyes, making sure Yui was comfy against her.

/

When she felt the heaviness of her eyes, she knew she should still be asleep, and yet was not. She did her best to try and get back to it, but the more she tried, the more the heaviness set in like a weight, rather than a comfort.

Ugh... great...

Slowly, reluctantly, she opened her eyes, hoping to at least get a glass of water or something and walk this off.

However, when her sight stopped being fuzzy, she paused; Kazuto lay on one side, facing away from her at this time, but Yui was no where to be seen. And when she slowly sat up, her whale plushie was gone from it's place on the floor... however, the door was ajar, and she could _juuust_ make out a light downstairs. Making a sound, she got out of bed as gently as she could, doing her best not to wake her husband. She had to stretch a little first, seeing that the time was a little before 6 in the morning as she did so, but eventually she got moving down the hallway then the stairs.

"Yui?"

The little girl jolted, nearly dropping her glass of water, but she quickly recovered. "Mommy!" she breathed, worried. "I-I know it's early, but-"

She merely smiled. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked, to Yui's surprise. "Well, apparently, neither could I; it happens sometimes."

A moment where she looked at her. "It's okay?"

She walked closer, getting her own glass. "Well, we hope it doesn't happen too often, but yes" she assured her. "It's okay, Yui."

Yui was relieved at that, before slowly taking another sip of her water. "Will I not sleep well tonight though?" she asked, a little worried again.

She shook her head, still smiling. "It might take a little longer, but overall, you'll be fine."

"Hmm."

After that, it was a friendly silence between them, just sipping at their water. At the same time though, kinda randomly, she remembered that today she was going to get skates for Yui, which made her smile at the imagery of them doing so. A little later, her gaze happened to go to the floor, faintly lit as it was right now. But as she looked at it, she slowly got an idea-

"Yui?"

"Huh?" the little girl breathed, surprised.

She smiled at her again. "It may not be skating, but I know something that's kinda like it, and may even help you practice" she said gently.

She brightened at that. "Aha! Really, what is it?"

"Put on some socks, and we'll come right back here" she breathed, and expected Yui's confusion. "Trust me, you'll like it."

One sock hunt later for both of them, Yui tapped her foot on the fabric, looking up at her now.

She smiled. "Skating is all about gliding, Yui" she said, stepping back a little, judging how much effort to put in and the distance she could safely cross. "Sorta like... this" she continued, moving forward two steps then sliding across the floor. Almost overshot it, and had to grab onto the chair to steady herself, but she made it well enough.

Yui was just plain excited, especially after she nodded that it was okay - her first attempt only skidded out halfway though, to her little sound.

"It's okay, we've got plenty of time before breakfast" she assured, taking Yui's hand. "The key is the running start, but don't overdo it; try again."

"Okay!"

Only later did she learn that Kazuto was there the whole time, up the stairs, listening with a little smile as the two of them practiced their sock-skating.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, she's progressing with the experiences, good and bad - and yet, she's still the cutest thing ever XD<strong>


End file.
